Demographics

The 2020 AAPA Salary Report shows that 2019 salary and compensation numbers for the PA profession continued their upward trend last year. The survey includes PA-reported data covering 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The median annual salary for full-time U.S. PAs rose from $106,000 in 2018 to $110,000 in 2019.

Compensation, which includes base salary, hourly wages, or some form of productivity pay, is also measured by AAPA’s survey. In 2019, median compensation across the profession increased to $111,000 from a median of $107,500 in 2018.

Last year, AAPA has launched a new Digital Salary Report, allowing PAs to input information about their practice to obtain custom compensation data for their specific situation. With actual and cost-of-living adjusted compensation, as well as cross-state and specialty comparisons, PAs can make informed decisions before moving – in their careers or across the country.

“In the midst of COVID-19, many PAs are facing challenges such as furloughs and significant changes within their workplaces,” said AAPA President and Chair of the Board Beth R. Smolko, DMSc, MMS, PA-C. “The increase in PA base salary and compensation in 2019 underscores how valuable PAs are in today’s healthcare workforce – which has become even more evident during this time of increased need for access to healthcare providers.